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John Denver was a serious student of aikido before he was killed in a plane crash.

Arlo Guthrie used to train off and on many years ago.

Mike Marshall, a famous ballet dancer is a yudansha in both judo and aikido, I think.

Talk show host, interviewer, and comic Dick Cavett was a serious student of Yamada in NYC.

There are a couple of world government leaders that practice aikido and judo. I can't think of their names just now. President Putin of Russia is a judo yudansha and I think Vaclev Pavel was a student of aikido. There are others.

Originally posted by Chuck Clark There are a couple of world government leaders that practice aikido and judo. I can't think of their names just now. President Putin of Russia is a judo yudansha and I think Vaclev Pavel was a student of aikido. There are others.

Not to mention a recently deceased Japanese Prime Minister (Japan Aikido Association/Tomiki)

At one time or another and for what duration I dunno, but these are names I've heard and remembered and I'll try to note the attribution:

Loundon Wainwright III, father of RufusMike Ovitz, ˘ber-mench and former Disney bigwigJerry Seinfeld (Ovitz biography)Sean Connery, nidan (said so on Tonight Show; also said Mr. Seagal broke his wrist before Never Say Never Again started filming; didn't blend with the Shomenuchi and said it was his own fault)Joan Baez (Aikido in America)John Denver (Sensei was Thom Crum in Aspen; appears in credit for Mr. Crum's Aiki Energizer video)

Although the IMDB entry for actor Philip Akin lists him as a "forth [sic] degree black belt," he's now actually a fifth dan in at the Yohsinkan headquarters dojo in Canada. He's a great guy and can do a heck of a nikyo, too.

Any info on what org?? Does he still train regularly?? He must be highly ranked by now, right?? Does he teach anywhere??

He started with the late Fumio Toyoda (Aikido Association of America in Chicago) in the 70's sometime...he last visited the dojo, I believe, in 96-97 ??? He was wearing an old beaten-up brown belt - he had stopped when he was brown belt, and only occasionally trained - so, no, he didn't get that high in rank.

Hey Sceptoor
Do u really want to know about Seagal and what he's doin'?
If it's because u want to train with him u'd b
out of luck he can teach but he doesn't, mainly cos of time i surpose.
If u wnat any thing with Segal i'd be on ur way to america and find out where the top dojo is there they'd point u in the right direction!